i love you forever now
by Lady StarFlower
Summary: "Parenthood isn't exactly something to condense in a single sentence, Felix." Felix approaches Dimitri for parenting advice, and Dimitri remembers when he learned to love all over again. Dimitri/Byleth, post BL canon. Lots of fluff and sap!


This is it. This is how he's going to die. Not by a spear through his gut on the battlefield, or a knife to his throat in his bedchambers, but choking on his favorite tea in his very own gardens across from a very unamused childhood friend.

"Don't die on me yet, boar." Felix chides him dryly, crossing his arms. "You haven't gotten my permission to pass out of this world yet."

"Excuse me," Dimitri gasps, pounding his chest and shoving away his cup, "But I didn't think I heard you well enough the first time. Could you repeat that?"

"With child." Felix repeats with all the enthusiasm of a brick wall. "Annette's with child. I came to ask for your advice."

"It's been two weeks since the wedding, Felix!"

Felix's eyes narrows. "What about it?"

Dimitri put his head into his hands. "Never mind."

"Answer the question, boar."

The king's voice was muffled into his gloved hands. "I need a moment."

"I don't have a moment. I have many duties to attend to, and you do as well. I just need a prompt answer."

"Parenthood isn't exactly a prompt thing to condense in a single sentence, Felix."

"Then summarize. Paraphrase. I don't care." Felix's voice suddenly sounds rather strained, as if someone had squeezed all the air out of his windpipe. "I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, boar. You have experience. I don't. It's only logical that I approach you, wouldn't you think?"

Dimitri raises his head with surprise. He looks into Felix's stern eyes and finds with a start that he recognizes the tumultuous emotions swirling in their amber depths.

Fear. Worry. Uncertainty.

But, underneath it all, there is a tentative and wild happiness, an emotion so breakable and fragile and yet so utterly _overwhelming _that it's impossible to put into words.

He _understands_.

Dimitri is suddenly yanked to four years ago.

O.O

_The birthing bed is covered with blood. _

_Mercedes and a group of other healers work busily around his wife, but their faces bear smiles and there's a bounce in every step around the room._

"_It's a healthy boy." Byleth's voice is raw, her bangs damp with sweat, but she's got the biggest and dopiest grin on her face that he's ever seen on her before and it's blinding._

_She's cradling their son in her arms. The baby is snuggled up to her breast, whimpering a little as he suckles. His soft hands are curled into fists, he's got a full head of hair, his tiny eyes are scrunched with concentration…and…and…_

_Byleth blinks in surprise. "Darling, are you…?"_

_He's shaking with sobs, his hands fisting as he falls to his knees by her side. The healers gasp a little at the sight of their mighty ruler on his knees weeping like a child, but Mercedes shushes them and scoots them out of the room._

"_He's quite fetching for a newborn." Byleth's voice has taken on that soft and soothing tone she uses whenever he wakes up thrashing from a nightmare. It's low and gentle, like calming a wounded creature. "He's got your hair and my eyes…and I might be a little biased but I think he's VERY handsome. What do you think, darling?"_

"_He's…he's…" Dimitri tries desperately to reign in his sobs, but that's his SON lying in the crook of his wife's arm, and he's so fragile and beautiful that he can't get any words out. _

"_I hope Gilbert can tutor him when he gets older." Byleth continues with infinite love and patience. "Maybe we can gift him one of the foals from stables when he's big enough to ride…or perhaps we can take up Claude's offer of one of his white wyvern's hatchlings?"_

"_Anything." He finally gets out, his deep voice cracking. "Anything for him. I will give the world to him if he so desires."_

"_Well." Byleth furrows her brows, but there's a sparkle in her eyes. "That might not be a suitable gift for a child barely an hour old." She offers her mouth for a kiss. "Perhaps in a few years?"_

_He gives her what she asks with trembling adoration. "He will never lack for anything. I swear to the Goddess."_

"_You don't have to swear anything, Dimitri." Her expressive eyes shine at him. "Just be a good father to him."_

"_Can I…" His hands clench. "Can a monster such as me be a good father to him?"_

_Byleth's face falls, and an indescribable look crosses her face. "Oh, Dimitri…"_

_The baby suddenly stirs, pulling away from his mother. His short, hiccupping cry threads weakly through the room. It's such a tiny, fragile sound. _

"_Hold out your arms." Byleth suddenly commands, scooting closer. "I'm going to give him to you."_

_Dimitri protests. "I-!"_

_But she's already easing the warm bundle into his arms, a sliver of mischief breaking through her haze of exhaustion. _

_He's suddenly terrified, suddenly hyperaware of every quivering muscle in his body. His son squirms about in his arms a little, readjusting. His agitated wail quiets down to a quiet whimper, and Dimitri watches in awe and disbelief as the baby snuggles close to his chest and calms down. _

"_He…he knows me."_

"_Of course he does." His wife snorts, beaming like a cat in the sun. "You are his father. How can he not know you?"_

_Dimitri laughs aloud, his amazement and delight pouring forth from him like water from a glass. "He TRUSTS me."_

_The baby yawns widely, revealing a pink gummy mouth, and curls up against his father's chest to go to sleep, his itty bity hands clutching at Dimitri's shirt. The king all but falls apart again. _

"_Look at you two." Byleth croons, her eyes soft and full of adoration as the sun spins her hair into iridescent starlight. "My two loves…my treasures…my everything."_

O.O

"Boar. Boar!" Felix's alarmed voice breaks him out of his memories. "For Goddess' sake Dimitri, stop that sniveling before Faerghus loses a king to my blade!"

Dimitri gracelessly wipes his tears with his sleeve. "Felix, parenthood is a _blessing_. It's a _gift _and you take it with both hands and you thank the heavens for it every day because you created a living person with your love and though it's not always perfect parenthood teaches you to _give_ and _love_ so much more deeply than you ever had before and…and…"

"Take a deep breath and calm down." Felix interrupts, his voice sharp. "You'll wheeze yourself into an early grave." Despite the harshness of his words, there's a thoughtful look in his eyes as Dimitri forces himself to breathe slowly, reigning in his emotions.

"I…apologize, Felix. I don't know what came over me."

"Don't apologize." Felix rolls his eyes. "You obviously feel very strongly about the crown prince." He pauses, obviously struggling to choose the right words to say next.

"I don't understand as of yet, but this conversation has been…enlightening, to say the least." Felix says quietly. "But…I may begin to understand what you are speaking of. The kid hasn't even been born…and I already know I will kill millions for their happiness."

Dimitri nods. "Everything, even the continent's security, feels inconsequential in comparison to your child. I assure you, it will increase a hundredfold when you hold your child in your arms."

"Hmph." Felix huffs and crosses his arms again, but the gentleness stays on his face. "You better be right about this, boar. I'd hate to be let down when the kid's born."

The bushes behind him shake. Dimitri's eye widen as his truant son pops his head of the shrubbery with a huge grin, clutching a battered wooden sword. He feels mirth build in his chest as the crown prince creeps towards Felix, his footsteps muffled in the tall grass.

"Believe me." The king feels a very uncharacteristic smirk spread across his face as his son pounces with predatory fury. "You will not feel let down in the slightest."


End file.
